Connection with our ancestors

In this territory you can connect with our ancestors, who guided themselves by the stars to organise their daily life. The early settlers looked at the sky to establish their crop calendar or the course of seafarers. Moreover, humans have always found a telluric explanation in the stars for extraordinary natural phenomena. In their day everything revolved around the stars. Why not look up and enjoy them?

Nowadays our lives are a long way from this experience. Such a simple action is almost impossible owing to the light contamination in cities. For this reason looking at the sky of the Tajo Internacional Biosphere Reserve is a unique experience because there are still privileged unspoilt areas on the border which unites Extremadura and the Alentejo, i.e. Spain and Portugal.

Stellar areas

The sky of the Tajo Internacional Biosphere Reserve offers a multitude of possibilities for observation. The darkest areas with the clearest skies, which are therefore the best for stargazing, are to be precise those of the central area of the nature reserve (Membrío-Brozas) and the northern area (Zarza La Mayor-Piedras Albas).

Here stargazing becomes a sensory experience because this is encouraged by the environment. The attractions for photography enthusiasts, and more precisely those of astrophotography, are varied. In the setting of your snapshots you will find observatories, dolmens, castles, and the natural environment itself. An outstanding space complemented with unique elements and skies.

The silence of the night

On top of all this, the low population density of the area gives us a new quality: silence. This is human silence, not the sounds of nature which at night really come into their own. In this silence you will enjoy the hooting of the eagle owl while you perceive the aromas of Mediterranean woodland. What an experience for the senses!

The best times of the year for stargazing are spring and summer as the skies have fewer clouds and the temperatures are more pleasant. However, as the cosmos changes autumn and winter also offer us magical moments for looking at the sky.

One of the best ways to enjoy the sky is to combine walking and stargazing. Choose a path in the moonlight along the River Tajo in the Tajo Internacional Nature Reserve and enjoy nature while you watch the different stars, planets, constellations, and comets.